2014 European Champions: Inveraray & District

Forres, Scotland – June 28, 2014 – Field Marshal Montgomery’s string of consecutive major championship victories came to a crashing end at seven, with Inveraray & District’s win of the European Championships, with the 2013 World Champions tumbling to a surprising fourth prize. It was the first championship victory in Grade 1 for Inveraray. Field Marshal Montgomery had two firsts in piping, but a fifth in ensemble and a crippling seventh in drumming were too much to overcome. Only 11 Grade 1 and 12 Grade 2 bands made the trip to the village of Forres (population 9,000) in the north of Scotland for the European Championships, the third of the five RSPBA majors in the year. Weather was a mix of sun and cloud, with a high of about 14. Grade 2 was won by Buchan, continuing that band’s run of success and almost certain move to Grade 1 in 2015. Dundee’s Mackenzie Caledonia surged forward to second in Grade 2, the band’s highest placing yet in a major.

Grade 1 (medley, 11 competed)
1st Inveraray & District (2,4,3,2)
2nd ScottishPower (3,2,6,1)
3rd St. Laurence O’Toole (ens.pref) (4,5,1,4)
4th Field Marshal Montgomery (1,1,7,5)
5th Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (5,3,2,6)
6th Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate (6,7,4,3)
Drumming: St. Laurence O’Toole
Judges: George Wilson, Ian Wood (piping); Paul Turner (drumming); Peter Snaddon (ensemble)

Grade 2 (MSR, 12 competed)
1st Buchan Peterson (3,3,1,1)
2nd Mackenzie Caledonian (1,2,4,2)
3rd Torphichen & Bathgate (4,1,3,4)
4th Lomond & Clyde (2,6,2,3)
5th Glasgow Skye (9,5,5,6)
6th City of Edinburgh (7,4,8,9)
Judges: Gordon Lawrie, Harry Stevenson (piping); David Brown (drumming); Joe Noble (ensemble)